A heartfelt preview of a major legislative battle

Republican Sens. Dean Cameron of Rupert and Bob Nonini of Coeur d’Alene joined me for the first half of this week’s show to talk about the prospect of Idaho starting its own state-run health care exchange under the controversial federal health care reforms.

Cameron sides with Gov. Butch Otter, who calls a federal exchange the worst case scenario, and insists that Idaho can only assert its sovereignty and influence over this process by being involved. Nonini and a number of Republicans argue that the state should stay clear of anything related to the so-called “Obamacare” laws, and wait to see if the federal system is successful or collapses under its own costs.

It was a great conversation – a must-watch if you’re interested in how this will play out at the Statehouse.

But wait, there’s more! Aaron Kunz put together a beautiful look at some water science that might sound like science fiction: cloud seeding. It may help replenish the dwindling snowpack in Idaho’s mountains. I continue my series of interviews with House freshman with a Twin Falls Republican who used to frustrate me greatly on the tennis courts when I was a reporter at the Times-News. And Aaron and Boise State University’s Andrus Center Director David Adler join the pundits.